Life — June 16, 1921 — page 19: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This black-and-white photograph shows what appears to be a general store or shop interior from the Prohibition era. The caption reads "hibition leader, buys five pounds of raisins" (likely reading "Prohibition leader, buys five pounds of raisins"). The satire is straightforward: a prominent Prohibition advocate is purchasing raisins—which were commonly used to make homemade wine or alcohol during Prohibition (1920-1933). This captures the hypocrisy of the movement: leaders publicly championed alcohol bans while privately circumventing them. The humor relies on the contradiction between the figure's public stance and private behavior, a common theme in Life magazine's political satire. Without seeing the full caption or identifying details, the specific individual remains unclear, but the target is clear: Prohibition movement leadership's moral inconsistency.